Chapter 11: What Doesn’t Kill You - The Broken Road

Kadyn gazed unseeingly at the magnolia trees outside his living room window. He sighed. The heavy breath was steeped in frustration. It was getting dark, and he was no closer to finding Kri. He turned away from the window when Mason’s keys rattled against the door.

Mason walked in, followed by Cenia, Roger, and Matt. Cenia and Roger were carrying white paper bags, presumably filled with food. Matt had a bottle of wine, and Mason was carrying a two liter bottle of Sprite.

“Chinese takeout,” Cenia explained with a soft smile. “We figured you hadn’t eaten.”

“Thanks,” Kadyn responded as he followed them into the kitchen. He pulled some paper plates and napkins from the cupboard and set them on the counter.

Cenia and Roger began unpacking the food. “Anything new?” Roger asked as he popped the lid off a plastic container.

Kadyn pulled some large serving spoons out of a drawer and handed them to Roger. “Phil has identified Justin Morris as the pilot on the flight out of Leesburg. He's still trying to track down where the plane went when it departed Minneapolis. The Flight Service Station is having some difficulty tracking down the flight plan.”

Mason filled a drinking glass with Sprite and handed it to Kadyn. He gathered a number of mix-matched wine glasses from the cupboard and set them on the counter next to Matt.

Matt pulled the cork from the bottle of wine. “Well, it should prove easier to find her now that we know who’s involved.”

“We need to know where that plane went,” Kadyn growled. He accepted a plate of food from Cenia. “Thanks, Cenia.” He offered up a half-smile when he saw the shrimp fried rice.

Kadyn’s phone rang. He immediately switched over to speaker phone. “Hey, Phil, any luck tracking down that plane?”

“The Cessna is currently parked at Sea-Tac Airport in Washington State,” Phil responded solemnly.

Mason released a rather impressive stream of expletives under his breath.

Roger shook his head. “That’s not good.”

Kadyn’s eyes locked on Roger’s. “She could be anywhere.”

Matt raked his hand through his hair. “He could have caught an international flight out of Seattle.”

“Or… he could have driven her over the border into Canada,” Cenia suggested.

Phil cleared his throat. “I doubt he’d get away with taking a hostage over the border, but I’ll run both names by border security. I can pull some people in to see if either name pops up on the international flights that departed Sea-Tac today, but this is going to take some serious manpower.”

“What if she’s in Seattle?” Kadyn asked. “What about checking cab companies, rental car companies, and hotels?”

Phil groaned. “There are thousands of possibilities, Kadyn. I think it’s time to pull in the authorities.”

“I agree,” Cenia responded. “We're going to need some help with this.”

Kadyn exhaled loudly. “Fine. I’ll call the Seattle police.” He hated turning control of the search over to the police, and he wasn’t feeling optimistic about the amount of time they’d devote to finding her, but he could no longer deny they needed help.

“I’ll still reach out to border security and get some people on the passenger lists for those international flights,” Phil offered sympathetically.

“Thanks. Let me know what you find,” Kadyn replied.

“Of course,” Phil responded before ending the call.

Kadyn called the Seattle Police Department, but they refused to help. He was informed he had to file a missing person’s report with the DC police before the Seattle police could get involved. So Kadyn called the DC police. A detective took his statement over the phone. Kadyn e-mailed the detective a couple pictures of Kri and agreed to stop by the police department the next morning to finish filing the report in person.

The friends ate in silence while Kadyn was on the phone. They cleaned up the kitchen and offered a few words of encouragement before returning home.

Kadyn walked over to Kri’s apartment, gathered up Cade’s things, and walked him back to his apartment so he wouldn’t have to spend the night alone. He and Mason sorted through additional strategies for locating Kri until exhaustion drove them both to bed. Kadyn tucked Cade next to his chest as he settled into bed.

Cade whimpered softly.

Kadyn ran his hand through Cade’s fur. “I know, little guy,” he whispered brokenly. “I’m worried too.”

* * *

The longer I sat staring out the window, the angrier I grew. I’d spent the last nine years of my life being manipulated, controlled, and beaten down by another man. And, now? Here I was being held prisoner in another man’s home, robbed of what little control I’d gained over my life since my divorce.

I’d finally found someone who respected me… a man who actually cared about me… who wanted nothing more than my happiness… and now he was gone. He was yanked from my grasp, as if some unattainable dream, and replaced with an unfathomable nightmare. I turned and glared at Justin.

He was watching me with cold, calculating eyes.

I rose from the chair with fists clenched. “How dare you,” I hissed.

His eyes turned seething as he shot to his feet. “How dare I? How dare I? How dare you! You’re the one who blew me off! You wouldn’t give me a chance. You made me beg. You rejected me. You made me feel like I was some worthless piece of shit. I’m not worthless, you stupid fucking bitch.” His hands clenched as he spit out the last four words.

I was immediately thrown into another place and time, when another man screamed those same exact words as he pummeled me with his fists. “I hate you! I hate you! I. HATE. YOU!” I screamed with the full force of my lungs.

I didn’t see him lunge for me. His face burned red as his fingers dug into my arms. He shook me violently. “Shut up,” he rasped.

I fought to ignore the pain as his fingers pressed into my bones. “I hope you die,” I spit back.

He backhanded me with an incomprehensible amount of force.

The log chair bit into my ribs as I fell. My entire body slammed against the floor. I grasped my side as I forced myself onto my knees. The blood from my cheek splattered against the hardwood floor. My hand shook as I brushed my fingers against my cheek. I gazed down at the blood that now stained my hand. My ribs screamed in protest with each heaving breath I took.

His fingers wound through my hair until they were just inches from my scalp. He yanked me off the floor and held me by the hair as he turned me around to face him. His eyes darted to my cheek. “This is all your fault. You couldn’t be nice to me for two seconds, could you?”

I smeared blood on his shirt as I tried to push him away.

He dragged me back into the bedroom, grabbed the handcuff, and forced me into the bathroom. He handcuffed my arm to a thick pipe under the sink. “You can rot in here for all I care,” he snarled as he slammed the door.

I looked around the small bathroom. It wouldn’t be the first, the second, or even the third time I had to sleep on a bathroom floor. I leaned against the base of the toilet, pulled my legs to my chest, and buried my face in my knees. My tears hung suspended as Charlie’s voice washed over me. I want you to remember one thing. You are not alone. You are never alone. I began sobbing, even as I prayed. “Please, God, please be here with me. Please don’t let me die alone.”

* * *

Kadyn spent the entire morning with the DC police. He offered as much information as he could without revealing the means by which he had acquired it. The detectives agreed to coordinate with the Seattle authorities, but they repeatedly insisted that Kadyn leave the investigation up to them. Kadyn walked out of the police department, refusing to make that commitment.

The police weren’t the only ones making demands. Kadyn insisted they keep the abduction out of the news. He was concerned the publicity would place Kri in more danger. The detectives grudgingly agreed, but they reserved the right to reconsider as the situation warranted. Kadyn felt like it was a wash in the end, but he recognized the value of getting the Seattle authorities involved.

When he returned to work, it was with a heavy heart. He may have pulled more people into the investigation, but he was still no closer to finding Kri. As each hour slipped by, he wondered whether she was an hour closer to freedom or an hour closer to death.

* * *

I looked at my watch and found comfort in that one simple act. I wondered if sanity could be maintained by measuring time. Two days had passed since Justin had locked me inside the bathroom. I could hear him moving around in other areas of the house. Shadows from his boots had slipped under the door when he hovered outside the bathroom. Still, he brought no food. He didn’t speak to me, and he didn’t open the door to check on me… not even once.

Every part of my body ached from sleeping in awkward positions on the cold, hard floor. Pain shot through my ribs every time I moved. I was thankful to at least have access to water from the sink, because it helped ease the cramps from my empty stomach. And, although it was a painful reach, I was able to use the toilet.

My brain circled around and around, most often landing on memories of harsh words and physical abuse. I would intermittently push my mind toward happier times with my parents, my cousin, Kimme, and Kadyn, but it would always circle back to memories steeped in violence and pain. Eventually, the memories subsided, and an eerie numbness settled over me. I welcomed the reprieve.

* * *

He came for me on the third day. I studied him warily as he entered the room and kneeled in front of me. His eyes looked sad as he ran his finger down the mark he had left on my cheek. My stomach turned at the feel of his touch, but I didn’t dare move. My eyes followed him as he stood and pulled a towel and a wash cloth from the linen closet. Still, I didn’t move. Justin wet the washcloth in the sink and crouched back down on the floor in front of me. Then he gently cleaned the wound. He unlocked the handcuffs and rose to his feet as he motioned toward the shower. He left without saying a single word.

I was too weak to stand in the shower, so I took a bath instead. Afterwards, I leaned on the sink, mesmerized by my reflection in the mirror. Dark shadows lined dull, haunted eyes. My face was bruised on both sides, and there was a small gash along the cheekbone on the left side. I had a large purple bruise, about the size of a pear, near the bottom of my ribs on the left side. Staring at my reflection was like looking at a picture from my past.

Slowly, I made my way out of the bathroom. I was too weak from days of not eating and in too much pain to move quickly. I discovered a tray of food sitting on the bed in my room, so I sat on the bed and examined the sandwich and grapes. I picked at the food. I was hungry, but I was concerned that eating too much at once would make me vomit.

I crawled onto the bed. I was too sore and too tired to move any further. I was just drifting off to sleep when Justin appeared in the doorway.

We eyed each other cautiously before he approached the bed. “Why don’t you come into the living room so we can start over?” he asked.

“I really need to rest,” I responded hesitantly. I didn’t want to make him mad again.

Justin pulled the handcuffs out of his pocket. “If you rest in here, I’ll have to handcuff you to the bed.” He hooked one end of the handcuff on the headboard to prove his point. “If you rest on the couch, then I can keep an eye on you, and you won’t need these.” He gestured toward the handcuffs, which were now attached to the spindle.

I weighed my options. I didn’t want to be in the same room with Justin, but my side hurt enough to where I didn’t want to be forced to sleep in yet another painful position. I was too tired to fight, and I was hesitant to make another decision that would make him angry. “I’ll sleep on the couch,” I finally relented.

Justin smiled, pleased with my response. He grabbed the comforter and a pillow and followed me as I shuffled out the door. He set the pillow and blanket on the couch. Then he helped me lower onto the makeshift bed. I moved the pillow so I could lay on my right side. Justin turned some soft music on from somewhere inside the kitchen.

I watched him from the couch for as long as my eyes would allow. He was being kind now, tender even, but I knew it wouldn’t last. I knew every step of this dance. It was only a matter of time before he lost it again.

* * *

Kadyn’s nerves unraveled more with each passing day. The thought of what Kri might be going through... the danger she could be in... whether she was even alive... was eating away at him bit by bit.

He tried to focus on what little progress had been made. Border security had ruled out a border crossing. Phil’s staff had ruled out most of the international flights, and the Seattle police had run Kri’s picture by all of the car rental places and were now working their way through the hotels. Still, he questioned their strategy. He knew they were missing something, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.

Kadyn’s friends watched helplessly as he paced across his living room floor. They had spent every free moment they had with Kadyn, trying to generate strategies that would help locate Kri.

Kadyn’s cell phone rang, forcing an end to his silent contemplation. Kadyn glanced briefly at the Caller ID, then quickly answered the phone. “Dan, please tell me you have found them.”

“I think I’ve hit pay dirt,” Dan responded cautiously.

Kadyn quietly regarded his friends. “Wait. I’m switching over to speaker phone.” He quickly changed the setting on his phone. “Okay. Continue.”

“Evidently, our boy, Morris, owns some property a few miles outside of Trout Lake, Washington,” Dan replied.

“Bingo,” Matt whispered.

“Where the hell is Trout Lake, Washington?” Roger asked. His fingers hovered over his phone.

Mason looked up from texting on his own phone. “That’s in the Cascade Mountains near some volcano… Mount Adams, I think. I went trout fishing there once.”

Kadyn nabbed a pen from the coffee table and began searching for paper. “Do you have an address?”

“Yes. I’ll text it to you shortly.”

“Do you have anyone in the area who can scope the place out?” Kadyn asked as he resumed pacing.

“I've already recruited a skip tracer out of Portland to go to the property and check things out. He doesn’t have the authority to make an arrest in Washington State, but he's the closest guy I’ve got. He’s a retired Navy SEAL with some serious skills. He can get close without being detected.”

“How far is Trout Lake from Portland?” Roger asked.

“Two hours,” Dan responded. “But I don’t know how far the property is from there or how easy the access is this time of year.”

Roger looked at Kadyn. “Can we get a drone over there any faster than that?”

Kadyn’s feet ground to a stop. “It would take us at least that long just to track one down.”

Mason shook his head. “I doubt a drone would get close enough to get a good view. The area is too heavily treed.”

“Okay, Dan. Send your SEAL in, but if Kri is there, I don’t want him to intervene unless absolutely necessary. For now, this is Intel only.”

Cenia’s eyes met Kadyn’s. “Are you going to tell the police?”

The room grew quiet as Kadyn contemplated his response. Finally, he spoke. “No. I’d prefer to keep this between us… for now.”

“I agree,” Dan responded. “This Navy SEAL has hostage extraction skills that exceed even the most seasoned law enforcement officers. I’m going to pull together some fire power and a few of my boys. Then I’m going to commandeer a pilot and a private plane from those yahoos who leased that plane to Morris. We’ll remain on standby. We can always abort the mission if the SEAL tags it as a dead end.”

“We’ll do the same,” Kadyn responded before disconnecting the call. He shoved the phone in his pocket, then looked at his friends. “Okay, who’s in?”

“I am,” all four friends immediately replied.

“Phil and Marie are going to want in on this too,” Mason noted as he began texting Phil.

Cenia scrolled through the list of contacts on her cell phone. “I’ll call Shawn to see if he’s available to fly.”

“I’ll call the Leesburg Airport to get some estimates on leasing a plane,” Matt offered as he reached for his phone.

Kadyn dug the phone back out of his pocket. “I need to call the dog walker to make sure she can take care of Cade while we’re gone.”

Everyone stopped what they were doing. They stared at him incredulously.

“What?” Kadyn asked.

Mason shook his head in disbelief. “Dude, there are more important things to do than line up a sitter for the dog.”

Kadyn’s jaw clenched. “I disagree. That dog means everything to Kri.”

Mason shrugged. “Okay. This is your operation.”

Kadyn made his call, then he allowed a small sigh of relief. Finally, we have a lead.

* * *

Kadyn raked his hand over his head. He was waiting for his friends to arrive. They had spent hours trying to secure a flight and had failed miserably. He had sent them home shortly after midnight so they could get some sleep. Kadyn didn’t want anyone exhausted when they were facing a volatile situation.

He was leaning on the counter drinking a Mountain Dew for breakfast when the doorbell rang. Mason answered the door. Kadyn watched as his friends filed in one by one.

They gathered around the counter, then stared at him expectantly.

Kadyn set the soda on the counter. “Dan’s SEAL has confirmed Kri is being held on the Trout Lake property.”

They let out a collective sigh of relief.

“Have any of you been able to secure a plane this morning?” Kadyn asked as they moved into the living room.

Cenia sank into the couch. “Shawn is somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. He’s on his way home from an assignment in Germany.”

“There are no available military hops into Oregon or Washington today,” Roger reported. He joined Cenia on the couch. “I’ve looked everywhere.”

Matt fired up his laptop as he settled in next to Roger. “I haven’t progressed far enough in my flying lessons, so unless we find another pilot we can’t lease a plane. I’ve looked into some private air charter services, but the cost is prohibitive… over forty thousand dollars round trip.”

Roger whistled. “That’s steep.”

Kadyn shook his head. “There’s got to be another way.”

Mason dropped into the remaining chair and opened his laptop. “I’ve been trying to find affordable tickets on some commercial flights, but I can’t find any flights to Trout Lake Airport, Portland International Airport, or Sea-Tac airport for less than three thousand dollars each.” He looked up at Kadyn. “We can pool our resources together and get you on one of those flights, but then you’d be going in alone. Even then, it would be at least eight hours before you could get there, longer if you have to change planes.”

Kadyn’s cell phone rang, suspending all further discussion. His eyebrows knit together as he noted the unfamiliar number. “Hello?”

“Captain Rand?”

“Yes…”

“This is Jay D. Rockefeller.”

Kadyn looked at his phone in disbelief, then spoke. “Senator Rockefeller, how can I help you?” He tried to ignore Cenia’s gasp and the murmuring that instantly ignited around the room.

“Young man, the more appropriate question would be, ‘How can I help you?’” The senator paused briefly, but he continued before Kadyn could respond. “Patrick has advised me that my newest staff member, Ms. Stone, has been missing since she left my DC office Wednesday night. She has not yet returned to work, so I assume you are still looking for her.”

Kadyn attempted to brief the senator as succinctly as possible. “Yes, sir. A cab driver was coerced into taking Kri by gunpoint from Union Station to the Leesburg Executive Airport sometime around midnight on Wednesday. She was forced onto a plane piloted by an old co-worker of hers. This man has previously assaulted her... twice. We have located his plane at the Sea-Tac airport. The suspect owns property just outside of Trout Lake, Washington. We have a Navy SEAL observing the place now. He has confirmed that Kri is being held hostage there.”

The senator cleared his throat. “You have been busy, Captain Rand.”

“Yes, sir, I have.”

“Have you called the authorities in Trout Lake?”

“No, sir. Not yet. We plan to pull them in as soon as we arrive.”

“Very good. I’ll repeat my earlier question, then. What can I do to help?”

Kadyn took a deep breath as he gathered the courage to make his request. “Well, sir, we need a plane.” The room fell silent as he waited for the response.

“Consider it done. I’ll have a plane fueled and a pilot on stand-by at Dulles International Airport within the hour.”

Kadyn released his breath all at once. “Thank you, sir.”

“Captain Rand, it is I who should be thanking you. Please keep me apprised.”

“Yes, sir. I will.” Kadyn waited politely for the Senator to end the call. Then he turned his attention to his friends. “Looks like we just found ourselves a plane.”

Kadyn's eyes locked on Mason’s. He slowly began to smile. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not about to let Dan’s Navy boys steal our thunder. Let’s talk logistics.”

The group pulled Phil in as they worked through the logistics. They went their separate ways as they packed their bags and gathered the necessary equipment. An hour later, the friends met up at Dulles International Airport, where they boarded a private jet to Trout Lake, Washington, courtesy of Senator Jay D. Rockefeller IV.

Kadyn gazed out the window as the jet cut through the clouds… only he didn’t see the clouds. The only thing he could see was Kri. Quietly, he whispered, “Hang in there, Kri. We’re coming for you.”

* * *

Arms snaked around me, then hardened as if forged from steel. I fought desperately to break loose. A blood curdling scream tore through my lips as I struggled to get away. “Help!”

Suddenly, he was shaking me. “Kri, wake up. You’re having a bad dream.”

My eyes flew open when I recognized the voice. I sat up and smacked my head on something hard. Brown eyes locked on blue. I slammed my eyes shut as pain tore through my left side. “It’s not a dream,” I groaned. “Oh, God, it’s not a dream.” I began to cry.

Justin released me abruptly. He winced as he rubbed at his chin. “You fell asleep on the couch.”

I scrambled to the corner of the couch and tucked my knees to my chest, heedless of the pain it sent shooting through my side. “I just want to go home. Please, Justin, let me go,” I pleaded brokenly.

Justin walked to the kitchen. He returned a few seconds later with a glass of water. He handed me the glass. “Don’t be ridiculous. You are home.”

“This is not my home,” I argued stubbornly. I sniffed the water. “This smells funny.”

He rolled his eyes. “Of course it does. It’s well water.”

I took the smallest of sips, wrinkled my nose, then proceeded to drink the water. “Justin, we need to talk about this.”

“About what?” he asked moodily.

This time, my temper got the best of me. “I don’t know, Justin. The weather? The legislative process? Oh, I know! Kim Jong-il.”

Justin bit back a response in a rather admirable attempt to maintain self-control.

I resumed drinking the water as I tried to calm myself. I eyed the glass, still disturbed by the heavy mineral taste. I looked at Justin and exhaled loudly. “I don’t know how you envisioned this all playing out, Justin. Did you honestly think you could make me fall in love with you and we’d live here happily ever after?”

Justin just stood there staring at me.

I toyed with the glass while I waited for his response.

“Would that be so awful?” he asked as he turned and walked toward the kitchen.

“It would be hell,” a little voice responded in my head. I didn’t dare repeat the words out loud.

I huffed out a breath in frustration. I set the glass on the coffee table, leaned back against the couch, and closed my eyes. I was desperate to escape this place, even if only in my mind. I tried to picture myself sitting on my own couch at home, with Cade and Kadyn sitting next to me. I’d feel safe if Kadyn was sitting next to me. I took a deep, painful breath and forced myself to feel him sitting next to me. I smiled when I could finally feel him.

We just sat there like that… not talking and not touching for the longest time. I sighed contentedly when he finally caressed my face. He nuzzled my cheek before kissing me softly on the lips. His hand slid slowly up my thigh. The soft fabric of my dress tickled my skin as it crept up my leg. His kiss grew more insistent. Then it began to feel all wrong.

My eyes flew open, but I couldn’t focus on anything. My head felt heavy as I tried lifting it from the couch. I pushed Kadyn away… only it wasn’t Kadyn sitting next to me… it was Justin.

Justin grabbed my wrists. “It’s okay,” he said in a sickeningly sweet voice. “I know how to make this all better.” He shifted his weight as he repositioned us on the couch and lowered his body onto mine. I began to cry as his lips met mine. Every hard angle of his body was pressing in on me. He abandoned my unresponsive lips and began peppering my face with soft kisses, instead.

“You drugged me,” I rasped in a thick voice. “Again.”

He traced my jaw and chin with his tongue. Then he latched onto my neck and began to suck. Hard.

“Please don’t. Oh, God, please don’t do this... not this,” I pleaded. I wedged my hands between us and pushed against him as hard as I could.

He batted my hands away and tugged the strap of my dress down.

I flailed against him, desperate to get away. A loud, blood curdling scream echoed through the room. I froze, so mindless with fear that I didn’t know the scream had been mine.

Justin grabbed my wrists. He pinned them together with one hand and pressed them into the cushion above my head. He lifted himself a few inches from my body as he reached for his zipper.

I twisted and kicked against the cushions as I lunged for the floor.

He dragged me back onto the couch.

“No,” I sobbed.

“Hold still,” he gritted as he pinned me beneath him. His hand brushed against me as he unzipped his pants.

My chest heaved as deep, ragged breaths tore through my lungs. “Stop!”  I screamed at the top of my lungs.

“Stop screaming,” he bit out as he shoved the dress over my hips.

I bucked against him, trying to get loose. Then my body went slack as I began sobbing. “Please, Justin, don’t do this. Please don’t do this.”

“Shut up,” he rasped as he anchored his hand over my mouth and nose. “Just relax. I promise you’ll enjoy it. Then everything will be okay.”

My heart ground to a stop when I saw his eyes. They were completely dilated. I bucked against him again, completely terrified. I couldn’t breathe. He was smothering me, and he didn’t even know it. I ripped my hands loose and clawed at him as I fought for air. Darkness crept over me. Then everything went black.